Search form

Play Spaces

High Quality Play Areas

Bath and North East Somerset Council is one of the few local authorities of its size to have a Play Team. This team work to support community members, schools, volunteers, parents and voluntary groups to offer children and young people high quality and exciting spaces to play throughout the area. The Play Team work closely with the Council’s Parks and Green Spaces Team and advocate children and young people’s rights to enjoy these public spaces.

Visiting parks and outdoor spaces like woodlands is a great way to enjoy family time together. We’re very lucky to have so many parks and green spaces in Bath and North East Somerset.

The Play Leaflet Map (downloadable under documents to the right) shows just some places that you can go and play that are completely free to use. There is almost certainly one near your home! If you wish to receive a copy by post, please email playout_hangout@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 396240

Play Pathfinder – involving children and young people in design of community play space.

In 2008 Bath and North East Somerset Council was awarded £2.5 million in 2008 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to develop and renew 32 play spaces in the area. This injection of funding enabled us to deliver safe and stimulating play spaces to thousands of children living in the area which are near to their homes and have a range of natural and exciting play features.These included climbing towers, sand, boulders, landscaping, swings, zip wires and bike tracks. The project objectives have:

given 8–13 year olds the chance to play outside safely in their own communities

delivered a new adventure play park and skate park in Midsomer Norton

involved children and young people in helping design these outdoor spaces

Activities and play sessions delivered in parks

As part of our work to promote safe and enjoyable play for school age children that is close to their home, Bath and North East Somerset Council have been instrumental in developing Community Play Rangers. These experienced and qualified playworkers run regular free play sessions in parks across the area. Childrens give their ideas for activities and the Community Play Rangers help to facilitate this.

“If the community play rangers didn’t work here my son would never enjoy playing outside because he has been bullied in the past. When they are here I know that he is safe and happy and he has made some friends who live nearby. He also helped with ideas for the new play structure they built there” (mother of 13 year old boy with mild autism – Keynsham).

The Council’s Play Team manage contracts with Bath Area Play Project (see web link) and Wansdyke Play Association (see web link) to deliver Community Play Services whereby people who are keen to see more positive play in their local park are supported to develop play activities and events.

Inclusion

The Council’s Play Team manage contracts to a range of voluntary sector play providers who deliver holiday playschemes and activities specifically catering for disabled children from 4-19 years old.

We try as far as possible to make parks and place spaces accessible.Sometimes this requires a member of staff to help accompany a child or young person who needs support to the park. This is something that may be possible through the Family Play Inclusion Worker Role. Contact Alice McColl for more information (alice_mccoll@bathnes.gov.uk)

BMX Play Tracks

These are all known as ‘Option 1 standard’ tracks unless otherwise stated and are ideal for informal use and for developing bike skills. They contain a varied layout of jumps and berms typically with jumps no higher than 1 metre and contained within an area of approximately 30 x 14 metres.

Daglands Park, Camerton

Kelston Road Park (Keynsham)

Keynsham Road BMX track, (Close to BS31 2BN)

Paulton Miners Welfare Recreation Ground

Peasedown Miner Welfare Recreation Ground

Pennyquick Park, Twerton, Bath

Pensford Play Area

Radstock, Tyning (Woodborough Road)

Southfields (Radstock)

Springfield Park, Foxhill, Bath

Westhill Recreation Ground, Westfield (Radstock)

Brickfields Park (Bath) - Informal bike play track with jumps

Tunley Recreation Ground - A series of low informal landscaped mounds

The Tumps, Odd Down, Bath, BA2 2AX - (Chelwood Drive)

For further information on bike play tracks please contact Chris Revill at the Council’s Play Team on 01225 396433. (chris_revill@bathnes.gov.uk)

Wheels For All

The Play Team manages an exciting new project called Wheels for All. A variety of bikes, trikes and scooters specially designed for people (adults or children) with mobility impairments are available for use by groups, families or individuals. If you would like to know more about this project or let us know of someone that you know who you think would benefit from trying out one of the bikes please do get in touch with Chris Revill (Phone: 01225396433, Email: chris_revill@bathnes.gov.uk.) Visit the Wheel for All pages.

Gathering Views and Ideas for Improving Green Spaces and Parks

We are always grateful for feedback about our parks and green spaces. Please contact Jeremy Dymond jeremy_dymond@bathnes.gov.uk if you have any comments about a Council park or play space.

To be re-directed to the Parks and Open Spaces section of the website, please click on this link. Parks and Open Spaces link. Here you can find a list of all the parks and open spaces within Bath & North East Somerset.

Please use this form to report issues with the content of this page. If you wish to contact somebody about the service provided, please use the contact details found in the 'Contact Us' section of this page.

Was this content useful for you? *

Can you identify any problem areas?

How can we make this section better?

If you would like a response to your comments please include a contact email address or other method of contact.

Data protection notice

The information you have provided may be shared across Bath and North East Somerset Council for the purpose of dealing with your enquiry. We will not give information about you to anyone else, or use information about you for other purposes, unless your consent has been given or the law allows this.

The use of your personal information is covered by our registration under the Data Protection Act 1998. You can, under this legislation, request a copy of the information we hold about you. If any information we hold about you is incorrect please let us know.

Bath and North East Somerset Council is committed to upholding the principles of the Data Protection Act, and will not process your information in a way incompatible with these principles.